Ticket To Ride—Series Update

With still three TTR Qualifying Events left on the tour calendar, all of which will qualify riders into next seasons (2005/2006) TTR Pro Series Events, this months two TTR Pro Series Events will play a major role in defining both tour overall ranking and who will be starting at the season finale’ ‘The Arctic Challenge.’

Currently leading the tour on wins is US born Professional Andy Finch, who won not only the ‘Nissan X-Trail Jam’ Quarterpipe in December 2004, but also the Swiss, New Years Eve event ‘O’Neill SB-Jam,’ and the Halfpipe event in January at the ‘Burton European Open.’

And, even though four new riders names will join the list of ‘Ticket to Ride’ winners before the month is out, it is fellow American Shaun White, already winning Austria’s ‘Nokia Air And Style’ and USA’s ‘Honda Session’ in Vail, who could tip the scales of who’s who in ‘TTR Pro Series Wins’ during the US Open, to be held in Stratton, Vermont, USA from March 18th-20th.

With hundreds of riders competing, tens of thousands of spectators attending and $250,000 US in prize money, this year’s 23rd ‘US Open’ will surely become one of the most of exciting TTR Pro Series Events of the Tour.

Watch ‘US Open’ Live on NBC TV from March 18th-20th, and a Two-hour ‘US Open’ NBC broadcast special on April 9th from 2:00 PM — 4:00 PM EST.

For more information on the ‘US Open’ go to: www.opensnowboarding.com

Starting almost simultaneously, but on an adjacent continent, is the TTR Pro Series event ‘The Battle.’ Held annually in Sweden, this years Falun based teams event will attract a star studded field of National Teams from all over the world. Sweden, Finland, Norway, France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, Japan, USA and Canada are among the chosen nations to compete at the event. TTR Pros Series event organizer, Terje Haakonsen, together with Snowboarding legends such as Sweden’s Ingemar Backman and New Zealand’s Quentin Robbins will also be onsite acting as both team captains for their respective Nations and competitors. The event will run from 17-19th March.Through TTR Qualifying Events in Sweden, Switzerland and France, three rookie riders will also be joining the pro teams in Falun. The events, ‘Sandinavian Open’, ‘King of the Mountain’ and ‘XBOX Big Day Out,’ enabled Kim Christansen(NOR), Mickaà«l Fournier(CH) and Ville Votila(FIN) to enter into events Nation teams format.For more information on ‘The Battle’ go to: www.thebattle.info